Purchasing Tasks in Workday

This page contains basic instructions for common Purchasing tasks. For full information on Purchasing rules, policies, and procedures, see the Purchasing Manual. For Workday assistance, contact the Purchasing Assistant.

How to Create a Requisition

1. In the Purchases app, under Actions, select Request Non-Catalog Items. You can also type "Create Requisition" into the Search bar to access this task. Do not use the Requisitions app.
2. On the first screen, in the Requisition Type field, choose an option from the drop-down menu and click OK. (If you're not sure what to choose, pick Open Purchase.)
3. On the next screen, choose Request Goods to order goods or Request Service for blanket purchase orders and all service purchases.
4. Fill in the details of your first line item. (See notes below.) When you're finished, click Add to Cart. A new blank line item will appear.
5. Continue adding line items until your requisition is complete. When you're finished, open your cart and select Checkout.
6. In the Memo to Supplier field, include any notes you want to appear on the printed purchase order. We recommend always putting the quote/estimate/order number in this field for the supplier's reference.
7. The Internal Memo field is optional and can be used for your own reference. The supplier will not see it.
8. Scroll horizontally through your line item(s) to ensure the information is correct.
9. Add any Attachments you may have (quotes, contracts, etc.).
10. You can Submit the requisition, save it for later, continue shopping (to exit checkout and add more items), or use the Actions menu to cancel the requisition.

Notes

On each line item, the following fields must be completed in addition to your Worktags. If you need help with these fields, contact the Purchasing Assistant.

• Item Description: For goods, the specific details of the item including name, size, color, model, etc. For services, a brief summary of what the services are.
  • Don't use vague descriptions like 'blanket', 'shirts', 'gas', 'Lowes PO', etc. A purchase order is a binding agreement between the college and the supplier, and it must specifically identify what is being purchased.
• Supplier Item Identifier: Catalog number, part number, SKU, ISBN, etc. if applicable. If not, leave blank.
• Supplier: Type and hit Enter to find the supplier you need. If you can't find it, contact the Purchasing Assistant.
• Spend Category: Type and hit Enter to find the appropriate Spend Category (GLC). If you can't find it, contact the Restricted Funds Manager - you may need to have funds moved into that category.
• Start/End Dates: These are required for services/blankets. They don't appear on goods requests. 
• Suppler Contract: This field is for pricing-contract suppliers only. Otherwise leave it blank.
• Memo: Optional internal notes. It will not appear on the purchase order. 

Common Questions

To charge your order to another department (Worktag/Cost Center):
To change the account that will pay for the order, change the Additional Worktag field, and all the other worktags will update themselves. NOTE: you must change the worktag in the initial requisition screen as well as on the individual line items.

To have your order delivered to someone else:
If you want your order delivered to another department or person, change the Ship To and Deliver To worktags. You must change them on the initial requisition screen as well as on the individual line items in order for Receiving to see it.

To create a blanket purchase order:
When creating your requisition, choose Request Service instead of Request Goods. You must include a description of what the blanket will be used for and include a list of all authorized users. Only those listed on the PO are allowed to use it. Blanket purchase orders must be strictly supervised to prevent unauthorized use and budget overspend.

How to View and Manage Your Requisitions

1. In the Purchases app, under View, select Requisitions. You can also type My Requisitions into the Search bar to access the report directly. 
2. A filter screen will appear. You can filter your results by supplier, date range, status, and so on, if desired. To see all requisitions for the fiscal year, change the starting date to 07/01/25 and select OK to proceed.
3. A list of your requisitions will appear. Scroll sideways to view all the information. 

Tracking

1. To see where a requisition is in the business process, find the Request Status column.
   • Draft — the requisition has not been submitted for approval
   • In Progress — the requisition is making its way through the business process
   • Successfully Completed — the requisition has been processed into a PO
   • Canceled — the requisition has been canceled and is no longer encumbered
2. For In Progress requisitions, click the requisition number to access the View Requisition screen. Scroll down to the Process History tab. This tab shows you what steps have been completed and what steps remain.
3. For Successfully Completed requisitions, you'll see a PO number in the Purchase Orders column. Click it to view the details including status, process history, and receipts.

Editing

In the My Requisitions report, click the Edit Requisition button on the far right to revise a requisition and resubmit it. You can edit requisitions up until a purchase order is created. Each time you edit and resubmit, the requisition will go back through the approval process. Once a PO is created, only Purchasing can change it.

Canceling

1. Click the Actions menu (three dots) next to a requisition number to bring up the Actions menu. In the Requisition section of the menu, select Cancel.
2. A confirmation screen will appear for you to select a reason and add any comments you may have. Both are optional. Click the blue OK button to confirm the cancelation.
3. Canceled requisitions are viewable in the My Requisitions report by un-checking the "Exclude Canceled" box and selecting "Canceled" in the Status field. You can reuse a canceled requisition by clicking on the actions and choosing Add to Cart.

Common Questions

The requisition you want isn't showing up in your list:

• The filter screen is set by default to show you requisitions from the past month. To see further back, change the starting date.
• If the requisition might be closed or canceled, check the Show Closed? and Show Canceled? boxes on the filter screen so you can see those in your list.
• You can only access requisitions you have created yourself.

To see where the requisition is in the business process:

• Click the requisition number to open the View Requisition screen.
• Scroll down to the 

How to Track Your Purchase Orders

1. Use the Purchases app or Search bar to access the My Requisitions report.
2. Use the filter to view requisitions by supplier, date range, status, and more. To view all your requisitions for the fiscal year, change the date to 07/01/2025 and click OK.
3. Requisitions that have been turned into purchase orders will show a number in the PO Number column.  To view the PO, click the number to open it in the View Purchase Order screen. We recommend opening it in a new tab.

Helpful Hint: Use the grid symbol in the upper right corner above any table or line item to sort, arrange, freeze, and hide columns so that you only see the information you need to see.

PO Status

At the top of the View Purchase Order screen you can see the PO's status:

• In Progress – the PO is in budget check or some other review
• Approved – the PO has been created but not yet issued
• Issued – the PO has been issued and is ready to be paid
• Closed – the PO has been fully paid and is now closed
• Canceled – the PO has been canceled

PO Details

In the upper half of the View Purchase Order screen you can see the summary and contact information. Scroll down to access additional tabs:

• Service Lines – displays the purchase order line items and worktags
• Process History – a record of the business process for this PO, including any remaining actions to be completed (scroll down, the most recent item is at the bottom)
• Printing Runs – shows when the PO was issued and PDF created, including change orders
• Balances – shows how much of the PO has been obligated and/or paid

If you need a PDF of your PO, download it from the Printing Runs tab. However, remember that Workday emails all POs to the supplier, so do not send your PO to the supplier unless they're aware not to duplicate the order.

Blanket Purchase Orders

Blanket purchase orders are amounts set up to buy from over time (i.e., a "blanket" covering many purchases underneath it). The purpose of blanket purchase orders (BPOs) is to eliminate the need to create separate purchase orders for a regularly repeating cost. BPOs are intended for recurring charges such as:

• Utilities (electric, internet, cable, etc.)
• Scheduled Services (waste removal, shredding, etc.)
• Periodic Payments (copier contracts, Spherion talent, etc.)

BPOs should not be used for goods except in certain special cases, such as Mister Paper and Staples. Goods should be purchased on an order-by-order basis. If you need to buy items from the same supplier very frequently, consider applying for a P-Card. 

Contracts

Requisitions must include all corresponding documentation, such as quotes, estimates, statements of work, agreements, contracts, and/or terms and conditions. With the exception of Contracts for Personal Professional Services, no SF employee may sign any agreement or terms on behalf of the college. Send all such documents to the Purchasing Director for review. This includes terms and conditions referenced or linked to on quotes and invoices. For full information on contracts and agreements, see the Purchasing Manual.